Republicans capitalise on Barack Obama holiday

Republicans have capitalised on Barack Obama's politically unfortunate
decision to holiday on Martha's Vineyard, a playground of the affluent elite.

President Obama holds a baby after landing in Buzzard's Bay before boarding Marine One to take him to Martha's Vineyard Photo: REUTERS

By Toby Harnden, Washington

12:27AM BST 19 Aug 2011

Mr Obama's three-day bus tour took him through Minnesota, Iowa and his home state of Illinois before departing with his family for a holiday on the island. The White House has said Mr Obama will come up with another jobs plan in a major speech after the holiday.

Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential front-runner, however has criticised Mr Obama for the trip, when the US economy is struggling.

“The first thing I’d do is go back to my office immediately,” he told a Chicago radio station. “If I were president today, I wouldn’t be looking to go spend 10 days on Martha’s Vineyard.

“If you’re president of the United States, and the nation is in crisis, and we’re in a jobs crisis right now, then you shouldn’t be out vacationing. Instead, you should be focusing on getting the economy going again. And yeah, go back to the office yourself, pull back members of Congress, and focus on getting the job done.”

The Republican National Committee meanwhile debuted a new website at Obamagetaway.com featuring mocked-up postcards of Obama in various pursuits, including biking, playing basketball, surfing and carrying a beach towel.

One card featured a famous picture of a barechested Obama walking out of the Hawaii surf with the slogan "It's hot outside, heading to take a double dip," playing of renewed fears of a slump back into recession.

Obama aides, like those of presidents before him, however insist that he never truly gets to disconnect because the cares and duties of the commander-in-chief follow him wherever he goes.

"I don't think Americans out there would begrudge that notion that the president would spend some time with his family," White House spokesman Jay Carney said earlier this month.

"There's no such thing as a presidential vacation. The presidency travels with you. He will be in constant communication and get regular briefings from his national security team, as well as his economic team.

"And he will, of course, be fully capable if necessary of traveling back if that were required. It's not very far."